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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Story@Home

Photo by Carol Rice

There's a running joke in our family that probably sounds pretty ridiculous. Whenever we see anything that looks remotely like a wagon wheel someone invariably says, "Is that supposed to look like a wagon wheel?" It's one of those family short hand tag lines that carry a depth of story behind it. We all break into laughter while non-family members look on, confused. Every family has such love-filled family code.

The stories of our family, and our family history, define us and inform us. Story is the hub of the wheel of who we are. Remove the hub and the wheel collapses. Remove the hub and the remaining parts of the wheel can never be re-connected - until a new story hub is created. Maintain the hub and the connections remain solid and purposeful. It applies to families and it applies to the world. Story is the hub of humanity.

The face of how family history is contained is changing. Social media and the Internet are building up a new interpretation of how we share and learn our family's stories. I'm so delighted and proud to be a part of an innovative conference that triumphs STORY as the hub of all it offers. A unique gathering of masters from the worlds of blogging, family history, and storytelling is taking place in March of 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like spokes on a wheel these presenters are joining together around the hub of story.

Every presenter is passionately committed to the premise that your story matters, and who you are is important. Whether the story is as fresh as yesterday, a time-honored tale from the past, or somewhere in between each story melds together and creates who you are. Together these presenters will guide participants forward into the wonderful world of harvesting, fine-tuning, and sharing their tales.

I feel so blessed to be a part of all this. It’s not very often in life one gets to be involved in something that feels so epic! The Story@Home conference is hosted by the largest genealogical organization in the world, Family Search International. The conference is sponsored by Cherish Bound, the only on-line publisher in the world dedicated to helping every family create a library of their cherished family stories. It is also sponsored by the Casual Blogger Network, a dynamic network of blogs targeting extraordinary women doing phenomenal things in the normal course of their lives.

These organizations, and the presenters they have invited to participate, powerfully illustrate the reality that the world is beginning to recognize story as the hub of our identity. Strengthen and maintain the hub, and you strengthen the world.

Story@HomeI can’t help but snicker, “Is it supposed to look like a wagon wheel?”

2 comments:

Ha ha wagon wheels! This blog post and the links you sent on the upcoming conference have inspired the following shameless plug: I could do a fantastic presentation, based on my own academic research and life experience, on the role STORY plays in building FAMILY UNITY which is essential in keeping families together in times of trial. Just saying. :) I have previously presented similar information in a panel for the Utah Fibromyalgia Association. You should help me build my resume. :) The end.

Teresa B. Clark

Wears Like Iron

“Wears Like Iron - is a poignant reminder to all of us that there is something very deep, very strong in each of us that will carry us through whatever we are called to go through. Teresa's poignant stories, like her title, wear like iron and will strengthen each of us on our individual journeys.”